Can-body-forming machine.



- No. 712,998, Patented Nov. 4, |992.

. J. ELDRIDGE.

cAu Bouv romanas. MACHINE.

(Application filed. Jrmol. 1901.) v

5 sheets-sheet l.

(No Model.)

. NVENTOR.

A Troje/V5 Y.

No. 7l2,998. Patented Nov. 4, |902.

J. ELDRIDGE. I CAN BODY FRMING MACHINE.

(Appliation led June 27, 1901.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A TTORNEY.

` .-No. 712,998. Patented Nv. 4, i902.4

\ J. ELDRIDGE. 'V

CAN BODY FRMING MACHINE.

(Appucatiim med .mix 27, 1901.)

(No Nudel.)

5 Sheeis-Sheet 3.

y /NVE-NTR WTNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov'. 4, |902.

Quo. 712,998;

K J. ELDRIDGE.

CAN BODY FRMING MACHINE. (Apglication med June 27. 1901. l (No Model.)v l 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

WITNESS/35. u l Y JNI/ENTOR. uw gmx ffm/@@15- J/ZZ/{xl/a/ l BY A TTQRNEK No. 7|2,998. Patented Nov. 4, |902.v A,

l J'; ELDRIDGE.' CAN BODY FORMI'NG MACHINE.

(Application led June 27, 1901.)

N0-Modal A A 5 sheets-shm 5.

'-""'-".`.Mi 'A Y A' n' I I UNITED STATES JOHN ELDRIDGE, OF-SANFRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CAN-BooY-FonMiNc -lvl'ACl-iuv'i.

^ sraorrronfriom forming part of Leiters Patent No. 712,998, dated November 4, 1902.

@pacman mean/ne 27.1901. Sesamstrae. m0' mdem To @ZZ whom it may concer-7L:`

Be it known that I, JOHN ELDRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident ofthe .city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Can-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements made in machines for bending a sheet-metal blank and joining the edges by an interlockedl joint ready for soldering in the manufacture of sheet-metal cans.

The invention comprises certain novel parts turned hooks on both edges ofthe blank during the intervals of rest before and after each rotative movement and to interlock the hook;

also, novel means for presenting and controlling the blank; also, a novel construction of hook-forming device on the horn operating in conjunction with a reciprocating blade to form one hook on the leading edge of the blank and attach it to the horn at the same operation and afterward to form the second hook on the opposite edge after the blank is brought to cylindrical form by the rotation of the horn, in which operation the two hooks are formed in proper' position' or relation to each other to interlock Aby a longitudinal movement of the wrapped blank on the horn; also, novel means for presentingfand controlling thepblank, all as hereinafter yfully described, and'pointed out inthe claims at the end of this specification.

The accompanying drawings herein referred to represent, in Figure 1, a front elevation of a can-body machine embodying this invention; in Fig.` 2, an elevation taken from the left side of Fig. l; in Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1; and in Fig. 4 a similar section Yon the line 4: 4, Fig. l. Fig. 5 isa front view, partly in section and on an enlarged seale,'of the rotatable former and the ejecting device. Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 areYieWS, partly diagrammatic and on an enlarged scale, of the hook-forming devices, illustrating consecutive steps or stages in the operation, wherein the hooks are formed on the meeting edges of the body-blank and are interlocked to produce the well-known locked seam or joint, Figs. 6 and 7 illustrating the operation of forming the fold or hook on the first or leading edge of the blank and Figs. 8 and 9 showing the operation of forming the hook on the opposite edge of the blank.

In this machine the horn or mandrel on which the vcan-body blank is brought to the required cylindrical form is rotated always in one direction, with intervals of rest, during which the hooks or angular folds on the edges of the blank are lformed and interlocked. The blank a is att-ached to the horn b by the hook formed on the leading edge of the blank, and then by a complete revolution of the horn the blank is wrapped around the horn and brought to a circular form, after which while the horn is heldat rest the second hook is formed on the blank, and nally the two edges are interloeked by sliding the wrapped blank longitudinally. upon the horn. This movement of the horn carrying the blank away, from the hook-forming devices brings the blank in position under a presser or hammer thatoperates to force thehooks closely together and produce a tight joint ready for soldering. Both hooks are formed by the same mechanism; but one hook is bent or turned in the opposite direction to the other,

vwith the first-formed hook underlying the hook last formed and also bent to engage with the lastformed and overlying hook. The two hooks are consequently in proper position to interlock as soon as formed, and the edges of the blank are united by ashort movement of the blank longitudinally on the horn without requiring a special mechanism to bring the hooks together.

The principal parts or features of thekpresent machine embodying my invention comprise a revoluble horn b, having a groove or channel 4 of peculiar form and position, areciprocating folding-tool operating in conjunction with the horn b and forming a hook on the blank as the edges of the latter are presented in succession and at the beginningand the end of the revolution of the horn, and

IOO

a blank-feeding device that presents lche edge of the blank between the folding-tool and the mandrel.

The horn b rotates always in the same direction, and, starting from a state of rest, during which the leading edge of the blank is presented and brought under the folding-tool, the horn makes a complete revolution before coming to rest again. The folding-tool is a blade d on the end of an arm 3, having oscillating or reciprocating lnovement in a vertical arc from a pivotal point which is situated behind and above the top line of the horn, so as to carry the blade in a vertical arc and its acting edge parallel with the longitudinal axis of the horn.

On that line along the upper surface of the horn where the edge of the blade would strike if allowed to come in contact agroove or channel 4 is formed in the face of the horn parallel with the axis of rotation of the horn, but also inclined with relation to the surface of the horn, so that the blade entering this groove or channel passes under the upper edge or wall of the groove, and its top edge or wall 5 at such time overhangs the edge of the folding device. The front'side 7 of the blade d is beveled to about the same angle as the slanting front side G of the groove 4.

The blank-feeding device consists of a table formed of a flat plate c on the end of an oscillating arm 8, having movement from a center of oscillation 9, situated below the line of the horn. From that point, moving in a vertical arc, the table rocks intermittently and in proper time with relation to the movements of the folding-blade to bring the leading edge ot' the blank over the groove in the horn'and hold the blank in position until the folding-blade, moving downward, strikes the blank. In such feeding movement of the table the forward edge of the blank is laid over or beyond the rear edge of the groove 4 an amount or distance suicient to furnish the proper width of metal for the hook, and while the table holds the blank in that position, with its edge against the rear edge ofthe groove, the edge of the blade descending strikes the blank from above and just back of the edge. The downstroke of the blade also carries the upturned edge of the fold below the line of an undercut recess l0, formed in the overhanging wall of the groove, and the hook previously formed by the downstroke of the blade catches in and is held by the recess 10 as the blade recedes from the groove and is drawn away from the horn. The leading edge of the blank is attached to the horn by the hook ctx, thus formed in the channel by a single stroke of the folding-blade. In the downstroke of the folding-blade as soon as the edge of the blank is caught by the blade the feeding-table moves back from beneath the blank and returns to position for another blank.

The position of the blank on the feed-table and the amount or extentof metal required to form the angular bend or hook on the edge of the blank are determined and regulated by a gage-plate f, situated over and in close relation to the top face of the horn. This gage has a fixed position with respect to the groove in the horn where the mechanism is constructed to form one size of hook or fold on the edge of the blank; but where it is desired to vary the size of the fold to increase or diminish the width ofthe overlapping portion the gage-board f is adjustable forward and backward with relation to the acting edge of the groove in the horn and is provided with means for retaining it in position after adjustment. The same parts coacting, as before described, to form the first hook dx in the leading edge of the blank also form the remaining hook cxx on the opposite edge; but in the last-named operation the blan-k is so positioned by the rotation of the horn and at the end of its complete revolution that the rear edge ot' the blank hangs over and extends beyond or in front of the rear edge of the groove in the'horn the proper distance to form the remaining fold of the desired'width. In this second operation the gage-board con fines or holds down the rear edge of the blank,

while the folding-blade makes a second downstroke and bends the edge of the sheet over the edge of the groove. In this position it will be noticed that the rear edge of the sheet of metal is presented to the action of the folding-blade in such manner that the fold in the metal is the reverse of the first-formed fold on the opposite edge,and the hook thus formed is turned toward the one rst formed and held in the groove. The two hooks are consequently in position to vengage and interlock when the under one is-brought t0- ward the upper one.v This-first operation to complete the interlocking is accomplished by reducing the depth of the groove 4 in the horn for the remainder of the distance from that part Where the blanks are wrapped, and

,the hooks are formed out to the end of the horn from which the finished blank is discharged. On that portion of the horn which is directly under the folding device the groove is of uniform depth to provide sucient space for forming the hooks; but for the remainder of the groove it decreases quite rapidly until the depth practically corresponds to the thickness of theinterlocked seam of the can-body. In this shallow portion of the groove the final operation takes placerto close the seam before the can-body is discharged from the end of the horn, and over this part of the groove is situated the compressing-tool. That part-or device consists of a head h on the end of a rocking arm l0, having movement in an arc from acenter of movement'on a shaft 13 behind the horn. It is operated intermittently in the periods of rest of the horn when the hooks are being formed.

The ej ecting device to move the bod y-blank from its first position under the hook-forming blade to its second posit-ion under the com- IOO IIO

IZO

presssing-tool h consists principally of a slidering 'm on the horn, movable longitudinally from a position on the left side of the bodyblankoutward toward the end of the horn with a length of stroke sufficient to set the blank clear of the folding-blade and under the coin-` for that purpose it is provided withseveral;

uarrow'bars p, fitted to slide'longtudinally in grooves 18 in the horn and attached at the inner ends to the slide-ring, so as to move with the ring. The outer ends of the bars carryfhinged fingers 17, that are thrown outv by springs 19, interposed between the-backs of` the grooves 18'and the fingers, and their outer ends `stand slightly above the cylindrical surface of the horn, but are also readily depressed to'lie Within the grooves. These bars pare-soproportioncd in length to the stroke of v`the ring m and the position which the blank occupies under the-compressingtool that the first-positioned blank which is brought to place under the compressor is left under the compressing-tool, While the slide returns to the left side of the feed-table beyond thevhook-forming blade before the next blank is fed in; but in the following movement the slide m brings the next Wrapped blank away from the hook-forming blade and under the' compressing-tool and at the same time discharges the previously-formed and interlocked blank byvirtue of theprojecting fingers p engaging the end of that blank. Every longitudinal movement of the ejector tothe left forcesfone can-body off the horn as it brings the next one -into position to be acted on by the compressing-tool. In this operation tlle ejecting-bars are drawn through the last-set'blank on the return movement of the slide, so as to bring vtheprojecting fingers in position to the left side of the blank, which is then lying-under-the compressing-tool. ln thisy movement the fingers recede into the grooves in the horn and slide through the inside of the blank Withoutcatching. These parts are arranged and' combined with pai ts and mechanism in an organized machine, as shown inV the drawings, in Which the blanks are presented \to the-hook-forming blade and are brought to a cylindrical shape, with their edges interlocked` and compressed,vand are finally discharged from the machine, all in an automatic and continuous manner.

In the drawings, 1li-represents the base of the machine, and y y the upright side frames furnishing supports and bearings for the Various Workingparts. 42Oistheprincipal shaft, and 21 a long bearing lsupporting one end of the rotary horn b.

The intermittent rotation of the horn is produced from the continuously-driven shaft 2O by a stop-motionA7V of any proper construction having such adjustment that the required In addition to this func-l interval of rest followed by a complete rotationis imparted tothe horn in timewith the reciprocating movements of the blank-feeding and edge-folding devices. The character of stop-motion mechanism represented in the drawings` is substantially the same as the Well-known Geneva stop-motion, comprising a spur-Wheel 22, engaging a pinion 24, fast .on the end of the ho'irn and having intersecting grooves 25 25 on the outer face, with Which a roller-stud 26 on the end of an arm 27, carriedby the principal shaft 20, is caused to engage and pass through as the shaft is rotated. The radius of the traveling arm and the distance on the circumference between the grooves are so proportioned that in passing in and out of one groove after another the end of the arm traveling in a circle will turn the Wheel one-fourth of a complete revolution in every complete rotation of the principal sha'ft,and according to the proportion of the pinion to the spur-Wheel the rotations of the horn are timed to operate with the other Working parts, as described. f

The hook-forming device is actuated from the shaft 2O by means of algrooved cam 28 through an arm 29, extending from the rocking arm 3 of the hook-forming blade and having a roller-stud 3l on the end. From a cam 82 on the same shaft the blank-feeding table is intermittentlyreciprocated through a rockshaft 33, carrying the arm 34, on which the blank-feeding table is mounted, an arm 35 on the rock-shaft, and a connecting-rod 3611etween that arm and a rocking arm 37 above, the outer end of which carries a roller-stud 38, Working in the groove of the cam 32.

A fixed shaft'13, extending across the frame behind and parallel with the rotary horn, furnishes a support both for the sock 12. of the compressing-tool h and for the Agage-plate f. The last-mentioned member of the blankvforming mechanismis adjustably secured by set-screws 42 to a bracket-piece 43 on the front of a sleeve 44, that is fitted on the shaft32.

A Acoiled spring-45, attached at one end to the sleeve and at the other end to a fixed point, holds the outer end of the gage-plate against the top face of the horn with .a yielding pressure, and a stop-screw 46 regulates the distance or clearance between the 'face of. the hook-forming bladcand the'gage-plate.

The means for operating the compressingtool consists of an eccentric 47 on the principal shaft and an eccentric-rod 48, connected at the lower end to the top of the compressor by a knuckle-joint 49 and attached at the upper end to the eccentric-strap, the parts being properly adjusted and timed to operate the head with a downward'thrust against the top face of the horn when the locked edges are brought in position under the tool.

The end of the horn from Which the bodyblank is discharged is supported by a stirrup 51, having an oblong opening sufficiently larger than the dimensions of the horn to permit the can-body to slip off between the horn IIO and the stirrup when the latter is dropped. A short vertical movement ofthe stirrup for that purpose is produced by an eccentric 52 on the principal shaft through an eccentric-strap 53 and its rod.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 0 l. In a can-body-forming mechanism, a rotatable horn having a longitudinal groove in its face with an inclined overhanging side, in combination with a blank-feeding device, a gage-plate, a reciprocating hook-forming device, and an undercut recess in the overhanging side of the groove adapted to engage the hook formed on the leading edge of the blank and attach the same to the horn.

2. In a can-body-forming mechanism, an intermittently-rotatable horn, having a longitudinal groove with an overhanging top edge along one side and an undercut recess below the top edge, in combination with a blankfeeding device, a gage-plate, and a reciproeating edge-folding device operating by one movement to form an upwardly-turned hook on the leading edge of the blank and leave the hook so formed in a position to engage the undercut recess in the groove, and operating by asecond movement to form a downwardlyturned hook on the remaining edge of the blank.

3. In a can-body-forming mechanism, an intermittently-rotatable horn having a longitudinal groove with an inclined overhanging side and an undercut recess, said groove beingof equal depth and width on that portion of the horn on which the blank is wrapped, and decreased in depth for the remaining portion of its length, in combination with a blank-feedig device, a gage-plate, a reciprocating hook-forming device, means actuating said hook-forming device during the interval of restin the movement of the horn in advance of and following each rotative movement, and a reciprocating ejecting device movable longitudinally on the horn, and adapted to move the blank in the direction of the decrease in the depth of the channel.

4. The combination with a rotatable canbody horn having a groove of uniform depth for the full length of the can-body blank and a portion of decreasingdepth and width, said groove having inclined sides and an undercut recess in the overhanging side; of a blankfeeding device, and a hook-forming device operating to form an upwardly-turned hook on the leading edge of the blank and press the same into the groove below the undercut recess, whereby the blank is attached to the horn by the formed hook to be wrapped by the rotation of the horn.

5. The combination, with a can-body horn having alongitudinal groove of varying depth as dese-i11ed,with inclined sides and an undercut receL :n the overhanging side thereof; of means foi intermittently rotating the horn, a blank-feeding device, a gage-plate operating in conjunction with the blank-feeding device to hold the edge of the blank over the channel, and a reciprocating hook-forming device operating to form oppositely-turned hooks on both edges of the blank in a successive manner between the rotative movements of the horn,a seam-pressing device and means forsliding the wrapped andinterlocked blank on the horn from beneath the hookforming device and presenting it to the pressing device.

6. The combination,\vith an intermittentlyrotating can-body horn having a longitudinal groove with an overhanging side and an undercut recess below the top edge of that side; of a reciprocating hook-forming device consisting of a reciprocating blade, and means operating the said blade in the intervals between the rotative movement of the horn to form an upwardly-turned hook on the firstpresented edge of the blank andbring the hook in position to engage the undercut recess in the groove, and afterward to form a downwardly-turned hook on the opposite edge of the blank and over the first-formed hook.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN ELDRIDGE.

Vitnesses:

EDWARD E. OsBoRN, ELEANoR GAY. 

